Dwight Stephenson
12/03/03

phinatics.com: How can dolfans help out with your latest charity project Dwight’s Computer For Kids? 
Dwight Stephenson:  Many ways. One of the ways is that anytime someone upgrades their computer, or companies upgrade multiple computers, and they have the need to get rid of their computers, we can take those computers and upgrade and refurbish them and give them to some needy kids.

phinatics.com:  Do these computers go to their homes or to schools?
Dwight Stephenson: We take them to directly to their homes in many instances, or sometimes we contact the schools and try to see if principals or teachers can recommend someone who is deserving of a computer.  It gives us great pleasure in giving them the computers.  We like to check with them from time to time to see how things are going, and to make sure the computers are working, and how they are progressing.

phinatics.com:  What made you decide on computers for your latest project?
Dwight Stephenson: Computers have opened up new areas, and people without them are denied that access.  We want to see as many people as possible have that access so they can learn by going on the computer and finding out about things.  We want to close the Digital Divide -- that is what we are trying to do.

phinatics.com:  In 1985 you were selected as the NFL Man of the Year for your charity work?  What motivates you to do some much to help others?
Dwight Stephenson:  I've always wanted to give back.   I've seen good examples of guys -- who played in the league before me  -- of them giving back, and I just wanted to do my part.  In football, we could not have accomplished some of the things we did without the support of the people and the community. 

phinatics.com:  You always seem to be in a great mood, and you’re always very nice to people.  You also have been very generous with charity work for over 20 years now.  You were a hard working successful NFL player, and you have continued to be successful in the business world.  What’s it like for you when you see some of the current NFL players who seem to think they are invincible or act like spoiled rotten children?
Dwight Stephenson:  (Laughs).  Well, I don't think they are any more sport rotten children probably now than when we played.  It's just that now they get a lot of attention, and that sort of thing.  But, pretty much, I try to treat people right, and I think most people try to treat people right, and treat people good, and enjoy people.  You might run into a particular guy, or something like that, but for the most part, I think most everybody in the National Football League are pretty good guys.  It's hard to get anywhere in life without being a pretty decent guy with people wanting to help you out.  To be in the National Football League, you had to get some help along the way, so you had to be a pretty good guy or people didn't show interest in you, or they didn't try to help.

phinatics.com: Or you just had to be a good player (laughs).
Dwight Stephenson:  Even though you are a good player, yeah, but you also had some help along the way, and I think most of the guys are good guys.

phinatics.com: So, for the few that may not appear to be good guys, what kind of advice would you give them with the experience you have of being in the NFL and continuing a good track record after your football career? 
Dwight Stephenson:  I try to lead by example. If a guy feels like he needs to do certain things, then that's fine.  I try to let my labor and the things I do speak for themselves.  Some people need to go out there and do things, and call attention to themselves, and that's fine if that helps them to play better. If that's what they need, I'm for that.  I don't have a problem with it as long as it's not disrupting to the team, and to what I'm trying to do.  If they need to do that, then let them do it.

phinatics.com:  Another University of Alabama center Sylvester Croom was just hired as the coach for Miss State and the first African-American coach in the SEC.  What are your thoughts on this hiring?
Dwight Stephenson:  For a couple of reasons, I am very very happy about that.  First of all, he deserves to be a head coach.  He's been out there, and he's proven himself, and I'm glad to see he is getting the opportunity.  I think Sylvester might have been the first black center to play in the SEC.  I'm not quite sure, but I do know he was the first black center at the University Alabama.  He paved the way for myself.  After he was center, Terry Jones played center, and then I played center.  He opened up the door for me at the University of Alabama, and he was also my coach at the University of Alabama my freshman year.  So, he opened up the door for me, and he taught me how to play the game ---play the center position.  I owe Sylvester Croom a lot.  I think there couldn't have been a finer guy selected today to be the coach at Mississippi State.

phinatics.com:  So, you followed his footsteps on the field, do you have any coaching aspirations like he had?
Dwight Stephenson:  (Laughs) No, no, I really don't.  At this point in my life I'm 46.  To be thinking about coaching is a stretch.  Maybe I could coach on the high school level or something like that, but I really don't have the aspirations to coach in the National Football League or the college level.  That pretty much went away 10 or 15 years ago.

phinatics.com:  What did you think of  Mike Shula’s first year as head coach of UA, and what do you think the near future holds for the program?
Dwight Stephenson:  I think Mike did a fine job.  I think that he was in most games.  I think there might have been a couple of games where we didn't stand a good chance of winning a game, or didn't stand a chance at all, but other than that we had a chance.  I think Tennessee and Arkansas we had a chance -- all the games we had a chance, except two. We are going to start winning those games and get Alabama back where we're supposed to be playing for the National Championship every year.

phinatics.com:  Do you still watch the Dolphins?  If yes, what do you think about Tim Ruddy’s play at center?
Dwight Stephenson:  Oh yeah, I still watch them.  I live down there and go to most of the games.  It's fun to go watch them play.  I think Tim's done a fine job.  He's shown some durability -- been there a long time.  He's a smart guy and can play the position.  You know, he's been a good leader out there.  I know the offensive line is taking a lot of heat, and he is a little banged up, but when Tim is healthy and everything, he has been able to do a good job.

phinatics.com:  Do you think the Dolphins will make the playoffs this year?
Dwight Stephenson:  I do.  I think they have an excellent chance.  I think they decided a couple of weeks ago that everything is on the line. They are playing like they have some urgency, and it's good to see that.

phinatics.com:  In your opinion, what kind of things do they need to do different to advance in the playoffs this season?
Dwight Stephenson:  A lot of it is going to come down to attitude, and their attitude is going right.  I really do feel they are going in the right direction.  They beat the Redskins, and they beat Dallas in Dallas on Thanksgiving day.  Those are the kind of games that they are winning now.  I think the future looks very bright for them this football season.  I think Coach Wannstedt caught a little pressure and stuff, as well as the whole team.  They are playing as if they need to get it done.

phinatics.com:  Will you be attending the Marks Brothers induction into the Dolphins Honor Roll?
Dwight Stephenson:  Absolutely.  Those two guys deserve to be on the Honor Roll.  They are a big part of Dolphins history.  The success that Marino had down there  -- the Marks Brothers were very instrumental in that, and they were very instrumental in helping me in my career as well.  Absolutely, God willing, I'll be there to show my support for those two guys.

phinatics.com:  Will you participate in it at all as far as being on the field or anything?
Dwight Stephenson:  I think they will bring us all down on the field.  I'm sure Coach Shula has some really nice words to say about those guys, so I'm sure he'll be there.

phinatics.com:  So, who do you think they'll lobby for next to get on there?
Dwight Stephenson: (Laughs) You know, there are some great guys that played for us, and some guys that should be --- and I don't want to say who should be on there next.  There are some guys that did a wonderful job, and are still doing a wonderful job.  You have guys like John Offerdahl, who had a great career and still does some great things out in the community.  I know he absolutely has to be looked at, and hopefully he can get on the Dolphins Honor Roll.

phinatics.com:  I heard Dan Marino refer to the hit that ended your career as a “cheap shot”.  Do you agree with his assessment, and did you ever speak with Marty Lyons after it was discovered how serious the injury was to your knee?
Dwight Stephenson:  Sure, I spoke with Marty many times.  I've seen Marty a couple of times this year already, and we do events every year.  Marty and I realize that when you go out there on the field anything can happen.  And, Marty, I know, didn't mean to cause my career to come to end.  When I said he didn't cause my career to end, he didn't hit me in the leg, it just happened that I got my leg caught up under him.  Marty is a great guy, and I enjoy seeing Marty, and I hope he enjoys seeing me.  I wouldn't want to be around the guy feeling sorry cause he ended my career because he did not.  It's just one of those things that happened that night.  Marty Lyons is a fine individual. 

phinatics.com:  But what about Marino saying it was a “cheap shot”?
Dwight Stephenson:  The cheap shot part of it, it's one of those things --- it was unnecessary, but I don't think it was necessarily a cheap shot.  Marino is a special guy to me . . . that night was probably not a cheap shot, but he didn't have to hit me. But hey, things happen on the field.

phinatics.com:  Your career was ended after only eight seasons and it appeared that you might be kept out of the Hall of Fame because you didn’t play longer.  How important to you was it to make the Hall of Fame and did you ever think that it was not going to happen?
Dwight Stephenson:  Me making the Hall of Fame after eight years --- I hope that shows people how I played the game.  I don't look at that as a negative, it's one of those things.  Eight years and people thought enough of me that I was selected to be in the Hall of Fame.  Hopefully, that says something about the way I played the game.

phinatics.com:  What was your most memorable game as a Dolphin?
Dwight Stephenson:  I guess the Chicago Bear game that we played on Monday night.  They were threatening to go undefeated that season, and we were able to beat them that night.  A lot of the '72 guys were on the sideline, and that was really a special night. We were able to take care of that situation for them --- it was kind of fitting.

phinatics.com:  You were very blessed to get to play for two of the greatest coaches of all time.  What were some of the things the two them shared in common?
Dwight Stephenson:  They were both class guys.  They were both very organized.  The tried to take care of the people around them, and help them become better.  It was kind of like tough love. They were not looking to baby you, and they were demanding.  They were not willing to accept losing -- either one of them.  They absolutely went after things like winners go after it.  I learned so much from both of them, and it was great.  I played for Coach Bryant, and he was a class guy, tough.  Coach Shula was tough.  He was dealing with men, and Coach Bryant was dealing with young men and boys. They both knew people.  They would push you to the brink -- push you to that edge -- and then the next day you didn't necessarily fall off, and they'd just push you a little further the next day.  I think I became a better person.  Both of them were very influential in my life.  My father was probably the most influential, and then followed by Coach Shula and Coach Bryant.

Click here to find out more about Dwight's Computers for Kids